Setting your House Apart

There are many advantages to living in a Master Planned Community (M.P.C.) the side walks, club houses, on site pools, and neighbors who know each other, but on the other hand not many M.P.C. homeowners know how to distinguish their home on the outside. Yes, having lived in one myself I know there can be many rules – this is why I am showing you ways to give your house curb appeal without violating the community rules (obviously I don’t pretend to know ever M.P.C. or subdivision’s rules so check your home owners handbook first).

Here are some tips to get you started and you can choose which ones fit your budget:

Paint the mailbox you presently have – most people have a metal mailbox and most are black or white go ahead and buy some spray paint and feel free to give it a new life

Make sure the numbers for your house are visible and feel free to spray paint them if they look worn out or make sure they match the hardware on your front door (satin, brass, nickle, etc).

Put out a “Welcome Mat” so people have a place to wipe their feet

Go to Lowe’s, Home Depot or your local nursery and find flowers that do well in your area then plant them along the drive way to freshen up the land scape

If the budget allows consider getting pavers or brick for your drive way it is gorgeous and will last a lifetime (even though it can be expensive it can be a well worth it item that you might really enjoy)

Make sure the driveway and front lawn are free of weeds, and choose a colored mulch to give your front area depth and distinguish different plant beds

Add solar lights to the walk way or for those of you who don’t want planted flowers you can use the solar lights along the driveway as well (its also a great Eco-friendly touch)

Sometimes a front door works well and you may even like the color or style go ahead and switch the hardware (handle, knob, & locks) to a finish you prefer

Add a kick toe plate to an already existing door especially if your front door is the one used most often (it also adds great decorative flare) this tends to get more use on wood doors than metal because it prevents scratching / stains

If you have an outside light fixture consider replacing the lights with something more energy efficient like LED bulbs/fixtures

Well, I hope this inspires you to realize your home can be so much more than an M.P.C. house from the outside